


Fresh Air

by rusticshrubs



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Animal Attack, David Acting as Max's (Camp Camp) Parental Figure, Episode: s04e12 The Forest, Gen, Hurt David (Camp Camp), Hurt/Comfort, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 21:34:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20316352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rusticshrubs/pseuds/rusticshrubs
Summary: A deeper look into s04e12, "The Forest," and David's character.





	Fresh Air

**Author's Note:**

> “We can cancel the hike. Or maybe I’ll just cancel it because I hate hiking, anyway.”  
David sniffled, wiping his eyes. “But the campers…”  
“They’ll understand. They might bitch and moan about it, but they’ll understand.” Gwen replied, and that was that.

It was raining again. 

Each droplet was like hot iron against David’s gaping wounds as he shivered at the bottom of the gorge. Blood steadily seeped from his skin into the surrounding water, dyeing the puddles a haze of murky crimson. His tears were still flowing, his back and chest a mess of agony. David tried to hold back his sobs, as the rough movement only caused him more pain. The reason for his battered state, the wolf, lay unconscious in front of him. Unaware of the anguish it had caused. 

David stayed frozen on the rocky ground, leaning forward with his head resting on his quaking arms. He knew if he moved too suddenly, he might pass out from the pain. Somewhere deep inside him, he wished he did. He would prefer his body be found at the bottom of a waterfall instead of in an unfamiliar chasm, body ripped and mangled and broken. 

In this moment, he was a child. He wanted nothing more than to wake up at camp and pretend this hellish experience was nothing more than a nightmare. However, David knew the campers needed him - even if they rejected his kindness, time and time again. He would always be there for them, and he had to stay alive to do that. 

Taking a deep breath, David gathered his thoughts. He lifted his head carefully and glanced around. The rain was getting heavier, which was making his cuts scream relentlessly. To his right, there was a dead tree leaning against the cliff with an open space underneath it. The camp counselor pried his torso off the ground with shaking arms. He forced his eyes onto his leg, a tug of queasiness rising in his throat. This wasn’t going to be easy. Digging blood coated fingertips into the earth, he pulled himself underneath the tree. Exhaustion was taking over, and the color in the sky was fading. David curled into a tight ball and shivered violently. 

_ Why?  _ He asked silently, head pounding from holding back a flood of tears.

_ Why did you need to hurt me? _

The spinning in the man’s head began to wane. He wearily wondered if the wolf would wake up and attack again. If she would see his vulnerable state and take her chance to dig those razor sharp teeth into him.  _ I should have killed her _ , David thought, and sighed deeply - a tiredness sinking his bones and weighing down his worn heart. He remembered her resigned and terrified eyes as he held the boulder above his head.  _ I don’t think I ever could. _

The earthy smell of the tree and the sound of pattering rain against it was enough to ease David into a light sleep. The world slowed down as he drifted off, a welcome change from the quick and violent nature of the wilderness. Another day was coming, and with that came the sunlight, and new, fresh air. 

When Gwen woke and saw an unkempt, scruffy tuft of red hair in the bed adjacent to hers, she had to take a moment to realize she wasn’t going insane. At first she thought one of the homeless people from town had broken in, probably courtesy of the Wood Scouts. Shaking herself out of the initial shock, she bolted over to the bed and studied the man’s face. Anxiety pooled in her gut as she observed the state of him.

“Oh, my god.” She didn’t even try to hold back the shock in her normally monotone voice, gripping his shoulders and shaking him carefully. “David?” An incoherent mumble escaped his lips, and she patted him again, harder. This time, he tensed up and let out a distressed whimper. “David,  _ wake up! _ Can you hear me? Jesus...” She ran a hand through her messy hair. 

To Gwen’s relief, David opened his eyes blearily, lifting his head off the bed. He squinted at her warily, then let out a relieved sigh. Heart pounding dangerously fast, a new wave of concern and worry coursed through her body. 

“I tied up the canoes,” he said softly, an exhausted smile planted on his face. Gwen gaped at him, questions forming at a rate that was probably unhealthy. Her eyes trailed from his ungroomed face to his bandaged arm and splinted leg. There were multiple scars peeking out from his shirt. She tried to compose herself, failing spectacularly. Her lower lip was shamefully close to quivering. 

“We didn’t know where you went, David. We had search parties out for you,” she swallowed. “It’s been a month since you disappeared.” 

Her co-counselor regarded this with a nod, sitting up in bed slowly. “I think I slipped and knocked myself out in one of the canoes. I woke up downstream and had no idea where I was,” he said, which is when Gwen noticed the raspiness in his voice. It was hoarse, like he’d been shouting. She ran to her desk and grabbed her car keys. Shoving her anxiety medication into her bag along with her phone, she gestured for him to follow. 

“You can tell me everything later, I’m taking you to the hospital.” 

“Are you sure you don’t need to rest?” Gwen asked on the drive back to camp. She eyed him with uneasy concern, lips tugged downward. 

David stared through the window at the passing nature. Something inside told him he should be honest with her. He never knew when he would get the chance again. The counselor rubbed his shoulder absently, and gave Gwen a slight smile. 

“Camp Campbell sounds like the perfect place to rest,” he replied, almost surprised at the blurriness quickly impairing his vision. He lifted a hand to wipe at his eyes, eyebrows furrowed tightly. He didn’t try to stop his voice from cracking. 

“I missed it so much, Gwen.” 

She didn’t respond to that, just nodded slightly, troubled eyes fixed on the road. 

It was evening when David and Gwen returned, the sunset’s warm glow lighting up the camp beautifully. The breeze was slight enough to be pleasant, and there was not a cloud in the sky. A wave of nostalgia washed over the redhead as he looked out into the campsite. 

_ The campers must all be asleep _ , David thought, slightly relieved. However, as they pulled up to the counselor’s cabin, he spotted a familiar crowd of children. This was Camp Campbell, where things seldom go to plan, so  _ of course _ everyone was out of bed after lights out. 

David was flooded with questions the moment he stepped out of the car, as to be expected. The campers swarmed the two counselors as they walked to the cabin’s entrance. Gwen snapped at them, “Hey, you gremlins! David’s going to talk to you  _ later, _ but this doesn’t mean you can do whatever the hell you want while we get him settled back in, all right? Go back to your tents.” 

The redhead laughed lightheartedly as Gwen loosened Nikki’s grip on his vest. The rest of the campers begrudgingly retreated, watching him like he was some sort of mystery in need of solving. To be completely honest, David didn’t have access to a mirror in a month, so he wasn’t sure what he must look like. He was just glad none of them saw him when he first returned. He never would have heard the end of it. The redhead could just imagine Max laughing hysterically at his beard. 

_ Max. _

The fact that he could see his favorite camper again was a blessing. That reminded David of the note he had left in his wallet - it was one of the few things he kept that linked him back to camp while he was lost. It settled a warm feeling in his heart. He scanned the area for a large puff of black hair, only to find no one. 

Sighing, he and Gwen entered the building and arranged his belongings. It was a strange feeling, tossing away his hard work - his clothes made of leaves and animal hide, his new pouches, his ripped bandana. Of course, he had at least five identical camp outfits he could easily trade for it all, but it felt different this time. 

“All done! What do you think, Gwen?” He asked chipperly, dressed in his normal attire.

Gwen turned around from her spot in bed, book in hand. She spared him a glance, raising an eyebrow.

“You look the same as you always do.”  _ Except for the leg and the scars and that worn-down look in your eyes. _

David smiled genuinely, a wave of relief washing over him. It hadn’t completely settled when he first returned, but now he was reveling. He was home. Safe from harm in the one place he missed the most while he was away. 

“Perfect.” 

David woke up at exactly seven in the morning, refreshed and ready for a new day. He bolted out of bed, combed his hair, and brushed his teeth. As he called out a short morning greeting to Gwen, she groaned, mumbling something about it being too early. 

David smiled wider as he saw the crowd of children in the mess hall, digging into their breakfasts. _Yes. This is normal._ _This is what I missed._ He waved to them cheerily and announced himself. 

“Good morning, campers! Hope you didn’t miss me too much!”

Young eyes turned his way, mouths gaping like fish, and the campers were on him, demanding to know how his leg was broken-

_ -snapped as he fell thirty feet onto the rocks of that awful gorge, his bone contorted horrifically; he could still remember the violent thumping of his heartbeat as he set it back in place with an agonized scream- _

how he got the scars on his arm, 

_ -the wolf growling viciously as she dug her teeth into his skin like it was a piece of fresh meat, his entire body wailing as she bit deeper, and deeper, and deeper- _

and suddenly it was  _ very _ hard to speak - like all the air had been knocked out of him and he was sinking again like at the river, water flooding his lungs, until-

“Hey - the fuck? Give the man some space!” 

\- he found the surface of the river and  _ inhaled _ .

An achingly familiar voice snapped him out of his stupor. A raven haired ten-year-old clanged a fork against his food tray. David stopped gawking, thrown back to the present as Max’s bright jade eyes locked with his own. The camp counselor smiled thankfully at him for the rescue, quickly shaking off his jittery apprehension. The boy quickly dodged the eye contact, rubbing his shoulder absently with one hand. He shrunk in on himself as the other campers stared at him expectantly, at a loss on what to say next. David quickly stepped in. 

“I know it’s been a while, so you all have to tell me what’s been going on! Have you been having fun with Gwen and Quartermaster?” 

Neil scoffed, but his eyes seemed uncertain as he looked at David. “About as much fun as you can with them. The police were here looking for you, you know.”

“Are you an outlaw, now? Oh, please tell me you’re an outlaw! That would be so  _ cool _ ,” Nikki exclaimed, face lighting up at the thought of being able to ravage around in the wilderness. 

Max stepped up, slapping a hand on his forehead. “Oh, my god, Nikki. He was  _ missing _ , he’s not a criminal mastermind.”

“Plus, we had Cameron Campbell. That quota is filled,” Neil snorted. 

Nikki sighed plaintively. “Aw, man… but it must’ve been so awesome being out there! Did you see any wild animals?” 

David chuckled, a sadness unfurling in his heart, and nodded at her. “Bees, wolves, bears… I had quite the adventure.” 

“How’d you break your leg, then?” Ered asked as she leaned against the wall, arms crossed. David swallowed, tugging at his sleeve. Conflicted on what to say, he simply went with: “Just an accident, kids. No need to worry about it.” 

Nurf shook his head, eyes lidded apathetically. “Oh, we’re not worried. We just want all the gory details.” 

David laughed awkwardly, shaking his hands in front of him. “No, no, I don’t think you want to hear about all that. Why don’t you kids finish your breakfast, and then we can go down to the dock for a fun activity!”

The kids mumbled disappointedly and returned to their tables. Max stared at him from across the room as he poked at his food, an expression on his face that David couldn’t quite pinpoint. Despite the strange atmosphere around him, the warmth of being back with everyone was something he would never take for granted. Especially after being alone for so long. 

Gwen arrived at the mess hall looking tired, but slightly less cynical than usual. She and David grabbed some food, a surprising breakfast of sausages and fluffy pancakes. Gwen noticed his bewildered expression, and mumbled something about her and Quartermaster pulling some strings. He drizzled maple syrup on his meal and dug in. It was one of the best things he ever tasted. 

Gwen was taking a day off in town to blow off steam, something the redheaded counselor practically begged her to do since she was so exhausted. The month he was gone visibly took a toll on her, which made David feel unbearably guilty. She eventually agreed when one of the campers accidentally set a tent on fire, and they had to rush to the lake to put it out. That seemed to be her breaking point, as she grabbed all her things and told him to hold up the fort while she was gone. After all the campers were sent to bed for the night, David heard a knock on his door. 

“Come on in!” he chirped, about to get settled in bed. The door creaked open to reveal a head of fluffy black hair, and a very indignant face. “Max! What can I do for you?” 

The ten-year-old sighed in exasperation. “It smells like hell over there.  _ Especially _ where I sleep.” David gave him a  _ look _ , and Max threw his hands up in the air. 

“It’s not my fault the tent caught fire, I’m telling you, it was Harrison’s dumb magic tricks.” The boy flung himself onto Gwen’s empty bed and let his legs hang off the edge, kicking off his sneakers. 

David inclined his head. “Max…” 

The boy glared at him, but there was no real malice in his eyes. His gaze trailed across the room. “Been a while, huh?” 

David untied his shoes and put them at the edge of his bed, casually crossing his legs as he leaned his head against the wall behind him. He stared at the staff hanging from the wall, right above the  _ Max + Positivity = Success _ sign. “It sure has. How have you been doing?” he asked, mentally giving up on telling Max to go back to his tent. He knew it smelled fine over there, Max just didn’t want to sleep. Or couldn’t, rather. 

“Fine, I guess,” Max replied, eyes getting heavier. He yawned, which made David yawn too. There was a comfortable silence as the counselor closed his eyes and rested his head before Max quietly muttered something.

“What was that?” David asked tiredly, eyes still closed. If he could just turn off the light, he’d be able to sleep. That was something he never had to worry about when he was lost - his sleeping schedule went along with the sunrise and sunset. His survival depended on it.

Max shifted in his spot, eyebrows furrowed tightly. “I said, ‘What about you?’” 

That’s not what David had been expecting. He didn’t know how to reply, so he stuck with the easiest answer. 

“I’m doing great, Max,” he said. 

David heard a scoff come from Gwen’s bed. “Liar.” 

After a long silence, the redhead heard shuffling across the room, and then the light turned off. He was plunged into a cathartic darkness as his mind began to relax. 

“Goodnight, Max.” 

He might’ve been dreaming, but David swore he heard a muffled “night” in return.

Some days were admittedly harder than others, like when they all went down to the dock for water activities. David found himself scooting farther from the shore every minute, glancing behind his shoulder as if the water was going to grow arms and pull him in. He always made sure there weren’t any slipping hazards either. The one thing he wouldn’t forgive himself for would be if any of the campers had to experience what he did in the wilderness. In that sense, the redhead was relieved it was him who got lost, not Gwen or the campers. Quartermaster or Mister Campbell would probably be fine on their own out there, though. 

David also had a hard time being alone, when there was a rare moment of silence in the camp. He urged to call roll more than necessary, since every time he couldn’t find someone, his mind immediately swerved to the worst possible scenario. It was like an itch he was restraining himself from scratching, wanting to claw at his skin until it was just blood and bone. 

As the week progressed, to David’s nervousness, the camp’s designated hiking day inched closer. He knew most of the campers weren’t ecstatic about it, besides maybe Nikki and a handful of others. The counselor considered postponing the hike, hoping for a stormy weather report or an unexpected turn of events. But the world always seemed to be spinning against him, and David never wanted to disappoint the campers. 

He couldn’t stop his heart from beating uncomfortably fast as he prepared for the day. His hands started to shake halfway through breakfast, so he excused himself early. Barely in earshot as he exited the mess hall, David caught Neil mutter something about him acting strangely. Shaking his head, he went down to the lake, careful not to get too close. He curled his knees into his chest and stared forward. Breathe.  _ Breathe. _

_ Nothing is going to hurt you out there. You’re in a large group, wild animals wouldn’t risk the attack.  _ David told himself frantically.  _ Unless we get separated somehow…  _

“David?” Gwen called, her familiar footsteps getting louder. He snapped his head around, quickly composing himself. Something in his throat told him if he spoke, it would unleash the waterworks. He stayed silent.

“You doing all right?” She asked, staring at him like he was some sort of frightened creature. 

“I, um…” David choked out, “yeah.” 

Gwen placed a hand on her hip, but softened, sitting down next to him. “Bullshit.”

She sighed and looked out at the water. “We can cancel the hike. Or maybe  _ I’ll _ just cancel it because I hate hiking, anyway.”

David sniffled, wiping his eyes. “But the campers…”

“They’ll understand. They might bitch and moan about it, but they’ll understand.” Gwen replied, and that was that. 

David couldn’t sleep. Not tonight. Sneaking out of the counselor’s quarters, he made his way down to the docks. The redhead couldn’t fully comprehend why he always went down there, but it was quiet and peaceful, which was all he needed. What he didn’t expect to see was Max, knees pulled up to his chin as he poked the water with a stick.

“Max?” The counselor called out in concern. “What are you doing out of bed?” 

The boy flinched, obviously startled by the intrusion, dropping the stick into the water. “Jesus Christ!”

“Nope, it’s just David,” he responded tactfully, crossing his arms. Max glowered at him, which is when David noticed his red rimmed eyes and flushed face. 

“Why the hell are you down here?” The ten-year-old demanded, voice wavering slightly. 

David shook his head disapprovingly, plopping down next to the boy. His concern for Max was now heavily outweighing his loyalty for the night curfew rule. “I just wanted some fresh air, Max. You shouldn’t be out here alone.”

“Well, problem solved,” Max grumbled, tugging on the strings of his hoodie. 

David listened intently to the creak of the dock as the water splashed up against the old wood. Max’s breathing was soft, but uneven, something he was very familiar with. That’s how someone breathed when they were trying not to cry. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” The redhead asked gently. He had a good idea what  _ it _ was, but knew Max would only open up to him if he really wanted to. The boy next to him shifted, almost like he was going to lean on David. 

“Glad you’re not dead,” he finally mumbled, face covered up by his hood. David beamed inwardly, taking that as a win. He let a huge smile cross his features as he pulled Max into a hug. To his surprise, small arms returned the gesture. 

“Me too.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did writing it! I love David so much, especially now in the light of s04e12.  
Please feel free to leave a comment and share it around if you'd like!


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